Acing Scholarship Interviews
For a lot of the scholarships with exceptionally high payouts, you’ll need to complete a scholarship interview before you can win. While you may have filled out an application in detail, written a stellar essay and submitted letters of recommendation, the scholarship judges still want to meet with you personally in order to a get a sense of your personality.
Basically, the judges want to see that the application fits the applicant and that you are a good candidate for the scholarship. Most of the time, these interviews are conducted for academic and merit scholarships wherein a very large award is on the line. Now, preparing for an interview of this nature can be very stressful, especially when you’re not used to the interview process for jobs or something of that nature. Here are a few tips to prepare yourself for scholarship interviews.
Have Someone Interview You
It is always a good idea to practice your interview skills before you go in for the scholarship interview. Have a family member or a friend ask you questions that may be asked of you during the real interview. Some good things to practice answering include:- What is your biggest academic achievement?
- What extracurricular activities do you take part in?
- How have you overcome a large obstacle?
- What are some awards you have won?
- What do you want to do after you graduate from college?
- How do you see yourself using your degree?
Be On Time
On the day of the interview, do not be late! It is always best to make a good impression and arrive a few minutes early. It’s all about appearing professional and, unlike in high school, the details count.Be Conscious of Your Behaviors
Try not to fidget or appear nervous during the interview. Sitting still, making eye contact and being aware of your posture makes you look calm, collected and professional. Also, don’t be afraid to be confident in your answers. Saying “um” and “ah” too much and being indecisive will make you appear unsure of yourself and of your major.Dress Appropriately
You don’t have to dress formally, but semi-formal is appropriate for a scholarship interview. Slacks and a dress shirt is appropriate, though a suit and tie will look even more professional. A dress or skirt and shirt is a fitting choice for a young woman. Regardless, just make sure your clothes are clean and wrinkle free.Know Yourself
Besides being aware of your body and your actions, also be aware of what you say. If you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t try to fake your way through it. Ask for a further explanation or simply say you don’t know. That comes across much better than trying to invent an answer. It also shows that you are aware of your own knowledge when you can answer quickly.Ask a Few Questions
While you’re preparing for the interview, make sure you come up with a few questions of your own. It can be about the company that is sponsoring the scholarship or about the scholarship itself if it’s not answered in the application. Having a few questions of your own looks good because it shows that you’ve really prepared for the interview and that you are comfortable with the materials.Try not to be too nervous! Interviewers will no doubt expect some level of nervousness on the part of the applicants, but being unprepared shows itself differently. So long as you prepare well for the interview, you’ll most likely do well. Just think: your application was impressive enough to get you called in for an interview. That’s half the battle! Let the fact that you were selected out of many for an interview act as a confidence boost. [Resourse : Go College]
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